And why are the changes in America happening that we are witnessing?
The first step is to understand secularism’s effect on society from the warnings of leading secularists.
“There is no significant example in history, before our time, of a society successfully maintaining moral life without the aid of religion. Moreover, we shall find it no easy task to mold a natural ethic strong enough to maintain moral restraint and social order without the support of supernatural consolations, hopes, and fears.” Will and Ariel Durant both received the 1976 Humanist Pioneer Award for their work, The Story of Civilization.
“Morality [is] the great antidote against practical and theoretical nihilism.” Friedrich Nietzsche – the originator of the phrase, “God is dead.”
“We know of no society anywhere that has managed to build a culture devoid of religion. No society has yet been successful in teaching morality without religion… for morality cannot be created.” Guenter Lewy – a secular humanist social scientist.
We’ve had our warnings from our nation’s Founding Fathers as well. “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports… In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens… Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” (Excerpts from George Washington’s Farewell Address, September 19, 1796 Source: America’s God and Country, pg. 661, by William J. Federer)
Our Founding Fathers knew this principle well and had the Northwest Ordinance, Article III include: “Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.”
In contrast to America’s beginnings, Sociologist James Davison Hunter‘s in The Death of Character describes our education public policy succinctly. “We want character but without unyielding conviction; we want virtue but without particular moral justifications that invariably offend; we want good without having to name evil; we want decency without the authority to insist upon it; we want moral community without any limitations to personal freedom. In short, we want what we cannot possibly have on the terms that we want it.”
It has not always been this way. Most of the changes have occurred in the last fifty years. Because our schools have changed, our society has changed. Some focus on Harry Potter as though it’s exorcism from public education will fix all. How naive can we be? Our public schools indoctrinate children in atheism and agnosticism via scientific naturalism. Humanistic philosophies of relativism and situational ethics are forced on children despite what parents want for their children and all at taxpayers’ expense. Children take on political views of the teachers’ union as the demographics of young voters show with increasingly socialistic views. The facade of neutrality, the hypocrisy of openness, and the subtle scientific censorship yields ignorance and indoctrination more than the average citizen realizes. And Christians think they have the passion of Christ when it comes to public education policy?
“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
Jesus the Christ – Matthew 18:6 (KJV)
Do evangelicals share these same sentiments of Christ? If so, why are our public schools in such a mess? Should we be surprised by the actions of any person who has replaced eternal accountability to a Supreme Being with their own self as the final arbitrator of right and wrong? Do we really want to move to a society of such individuals? We already have. Look at the attempts to redefine marriage and morality, the indifference to financial losses of others be it via political means or white-collar criminal activity, the misplaced priorities of materialism, the choices of personal freedom even at the expense of aborting others, and yes, school shootings. Even church-people are not exempted. Many either want God on their own terms or do not consider God at all in their lifestyle choices. Too many falsely believe they will not be judged by a holy righteous and demanding God who requires an eternal penalty for the unrepentant in this life. We are reaping what we have sown. America’s demographics have changed.
Dr. Francis Schaeffer also warned us… “This country is close to being lost… because Bible believing Christians have done nothing… as the consensus has changed. There has been a vast silence.”
We are not living in the last days. We are living in the last days accelerated because of Christian apathy and surrender to the godless in the matter of secular public education policies. All this could be changed via a school choice policy that enables schools to give the evidence for a holy God without forcing religion on everyone as the humanists are doing now.
When Anthony Flew, the famous outspoken British atheist for over fifty years, publicly announced his change in mind on the God question based on the science of intelligent design, we are living at a time when the scientific evidence for God is at an all time high. Unfortunately, the secular public does not know this. Such evidence is censored from the public square by powerful individuals and key institutions. A school choice policy could change this too.
Dr. Schaeffer also said that Christians see our social problems like abortion, euthanasia, gay-rights as isolated bits and pieces, when in reality they are all outcomes of a humanistic worldview. This secular evangelism has been our public education policy. This strongly suggests that our most strategic political strategy should be for Protestants and Catholics to focus on school choice as the primary policy to win – not abortion. As we then provide schools with the evidence for God to crying children wanting to escape $300,000 union controlled classrooms, we will begin to see a great awakening in America. This will change the debate on abortion, euthanasia, gay-rights, and will significantly diminish the possibility of another massacre of innocent children. No one kills innocent children and then willingly submits himself via suicide to God for an eternity in hell without ignoring God in the first place.
For the record, the Constitution’s First Amendment only prohibits Congress. Yet even with this, the Senate has a paid chaplain today because of Benjamin Franklin. The Constitutional Convention was about to breakup and Franklin suggested that prayers be offered each day before each session began. Why do senators have the right to pray, but the children are prohibited? How free are we?
Unfortunately, the massacre of young children like all the other social evils is simply the reaping what we have sown. If we fail to have the passion of Christ to protect our own children spiritually, why should Christ protect them physically?
“My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. ‘Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.’ ” Hosea 4:6 (NIV) 715-710 B.C.
School choice could protect children both spiritually and physically. Whatever we do to children we do to society and society will so respond.
Since America is so anti-Christian secular, the God question must be considered along with all other factors. Our lifestyle choices result from our personal philosophies as well as from our mental chemistry.